Fuel injection system



y 3, 1960 P. E. BRAUN 2,935,060

FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM Filed Nov. 19, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 P. EBRAUN.INVENTOR.

y 3, 1960 P. E. BRAUN 2,935,060

FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM Filed Nov. 19, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 P. E. BRAUN.

IN VEN TOR.

United States Patent O FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM Paul E. Braun, Birmingham,Mich., assignor to Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, Mich., a corporation ofDelaware 6 Application November 19, 1956, Serial No. 622,973

4 Claims. (Cl. 123-139) This invention pertains to a fuel injectionsystem of an inexpensive design and which is particularly suitable forgasoline internal combustion engines.

a It has been an object, especially in recent years, to provide arelatively inexpensive fuel injection system which is capable ofproviding gasoline under high pressure and in the proper amount at theproper time to a series of combustion chambers. This inventionundertakes to provide a device which accomplishes the above objects byusing a shuttle or free piston mounted in a rotor which has a fuelintake passage leading to either side of the shuttle and a fueldischarge passage extending from either side of the shuttle. The rotoris mounted between two stationary plates with one plate having fuelintake ducts and the opposite plate having outlet ducts. As the rotor isturned by means such as a camshaft, a fuel intake passage in the rotorcommunicates with a high pressure fuel source and at the same time afuel discharge passage in the rotor'and from the opposite side of saidshuttle communicates with a combustion chamber or cylinder.-

In this manner the shuttle is always forced towards an open dischargepassage by incoming fuel under high pressure at the opposite side of theshuttle. The travel of shuttle and hence the amount of fuel forcedthrough the discharge passages on each stroke is-controlled by a movablestop which under large absolute manifold vacuum pressures restricts theshuttle travel and under low absolute pressures corresponding to wideopen throttle permits maximum shuttle travel.

In this invention the fuel inlet passages are fedfrom duets in a plateon one side of the rotor and the fuel discharge passages dischargethrough ducts in a plate on the opposite side of the rotor. Because ofthis separation of intake and discharge passages each passage aperturecan be much larger thereby increasing the duration of contact with itsrespective plate duct thereby insuring complete filling and dischargeeven at high speeds.

These and other objects will become more apparent when a preferredembodiment is described and shown in drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a fuel injection assembly;

Figure 2 is a section taken at 22 of Figure 1 showing the top portion ofthe rotor and its housing with the inlet and discharge passages shown;

Figure 3 is a section taken at 3-3 of Figure 2 showing the inlet anddischarge passages which are connected to the bottom of the shuttle andalso showing means for restricting the shuttle travel according tomanifold vacuum pressures; I

Figure 4 is a section taken through a portion of the assembly shown inFigure 2 showing the inlet and discharge passage which are connected tothe top of the shuttle;

Figure 5 is a section taken at 55 of Figure 1 showing the inlet ductsand annulus which communicate with the two inlet passages in the rotor;and

Figure 6 is a section taken on the line of separation 2,935,060 PatentedMay 3, 196 0 between the metering assembly and the housing at 6-6 ofFigure 3 showing discharge ducts leading to eight cylin-' tiers andwhich communicate with the two discharge passages in the rotor.

In Figure 1 is shown housing 21 which supports metering assembly 22having intake manifold connection 23. Shown in housing 21 is fuel inlet24 and fuel discharge ducts 48, 49. In Figure 2 is shown rotor 31 whichis rotatably mounted in housing 21 and has discharge passages A and Dand inlet passages B and C. In the rotor there are only two inletpassages, B and C, both entering from the bottom of rotor 31 and with Bgoing to the bottom of shuttle 32 and C to the top. Similarly, there areonly two discharge passages, A and D, both leading to the top of rotor31 and passage A connected to the bottom of shuttle 32 and passage D tothe top.

In Figure 3 is seen in more detail metering assembly 22 and itsconnection with shuttle 32 and rotor 31. Rotor 31 is'mounted in housing21 and urged against discharge plate 33 by Belleville washer 34.Discharge plate 33 and inlet plate 36 are held stationary while rotor 31is turned by cam shaftportion 37. Inlet and discharge plates 36, 33composed of a carbon material impregnated with bronze and lead, similarto a material available under the trade name Microlite, have workedsatisfactorily with high rotational speeds of rotor 31. Reciprocating inrotor31 is shuttle 32 which travels between fixed stop 38 and movablestop 39 which is controlled by longitudinal movement of cone .41. Spring42 urges diaphragm 43 and cone 41 leftwardly against manifold vacuumdepressions, The left end of come 41 is received in housing 44 which maycontain, means for positioning the cone axially in response to altitudeand temperature. Since this structure is not considered to be "patentlypertinent to this application, it has not been fully illustrated ordescribed. ,Also shown is fuel inlet 24 which communicateswith annulus46 and inlet ducts 47. Inlet passagesB and C in rotor 31 register withducts 47, which are shown also in Figure 5, as rotor31 is turned andpassage B communicates .with the lower portion of shuttle 32 as doesdischarge passage A which registers with discharge ducts 48 which areshown in Figure 6. A portion of discharge passage D is also shown inFigure 3 but more completely shown in Figure 4. Dis charge passage Dregisters with ducts 49 and, with passage C, is connected to the top ofshuttle 32. Discharge ducts 48 and 49 lead to combustion chambers in thevehicle engine and are supplied at their ends with suitable atomizingnozzles, not shown. While eight ducts are shown corresponding to aneight cylinder engine, this may be varied.

In Figure 4 is shown more clearly inlet passage C and exhaust passage Dand their relation to shuttle 32.

In the operation of this embodiment fuel enters under high pressure atinlet 24 where it communicates with discharge ducts 47 through annulus46. As the rotor turns, inlet passage B, and then C, communicates withone of the ducts 47 and during one complete revolution of the rotor itis seen that passages B and C each communicate four times or a total ofeight with an inlet duct 47. Each time inlet passage B communicates withduct 47 exhaust passage D communicates with a discharge duct 49supplying fuel to a cylinder. Similarly each time passage C communicateswith a duct 47, discharge passage A communicates with a duct 48. Duringone complete turn of the rotor it is seen that each passage A and Dcommunicates four times with a discharge duct making a total of eightcommunications per revolution. is in communication with a duct 47 theshuttle is moved upwardly filling the lower shuttle chamber anddischarging the upper shuttle chamber, which was filled on the priordownward stroke of the shuttle, into a discharge When passage B duct 49through passage D. Likewise, when passage C communicates with an inletduct 47 shuttle 32 is forced downwardly discharging the contents of thelower shuttle chamber through passage A into a discharge duct 48, Inthis manner each stroke of the shuttle'causes fuel to be directedtowards a combustion chamber and since the rotor 31 is turned at camshaft speed the fuel is properly timed to reach the combustion areaduring the proper fuel intake time.

As the absolute manifold vacuum increases indicating decreasingthrottle, cone 41 moves rightwardly depressing stop 39 decreasing thestroke of shuttle 32 reducing the amount of fuel into the cylinders;conversely, as the absolute pressure decreases cone 41 moves leftwardlyincreasing the amount'of fuel to each chamber.

Oil passages may be drilled in plates 33 and 36 to provide lubricationfor the contacting surfaces of rotor 31. Leakage between the inlet 24and discharge ducts 48, 49 is retarded by the axial sealing lengthbetween rotor 31 and housing 21. Leakage between discharge ducts 48, 49themselves and between inlet ducts 47 is retarded by the pressureexerted by the pressure of washer 34. Also, with the design of thisinvention a maximum amount of space is allowed between passages and,therefore, leakage is less troublesome.

It is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to theexact construction shown and described, but that various changes-andmodifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An improved fuel metering distributor for high pressure fuelinjection systems comprising body means defining a cylindrical bore, ametering cylinder rotatably received therewithin and in sealing contacttherewith on the side and ends of said cylinder, said cylinder defininga fuel metering chamber therewithin and fuel inlet and dischargepassageways in communication with each end of said chamber, a shuttlepiston reciprocally received within said chamber, said inlet passagewaysextending from said chamber and terminating at one end of said cylinder,said outlet passageways extending from said chamber and terminating atthe other end thereof, said means defining a fuel inlet having anopening terminated at one 2. A fuel metering distributor comprising abody defining a cylindrical bore, a cylindrical valve block rotatablyreceived in said bore and having right circular end portions, said blockdefining an axial metering chamber, a shuttle piston slidably receivedin said chamber, said block further defining separate fuel inlet andoutlet passageways in communication with said chamber at opposite sidesof said piston, said inlet passageways terminated in spaced relationshipat one end portion of said block and said outlet passageways terminatedin spaced relationship at the other end portion thereof, said bodydefining fuel inlet means adapted to successively communicate with saidinlet passageways and further defining a plurality of outlets adapted tosuccessively communicate with said outlet passageways upon rotation ofsaid valve block.

3. A fuel metering distributor for an internal combustion engine havingN combustion cylinders comprising a body defining a cylindrical cavity,a cylindrical valve block rotatably received in said cavity and insealing contact with said body at the endsof said block, said blockdefining a metering chamber, a shuttle piston slidably received in saidchamber said block defining a pair of inlet passageways leading from oneend thereof to'said chamber at opposite sides of said piston, said blockfurther defining a pair of outlet passageways one each in communicationwith each of said inlet passageways and leading to the other end of saidblock,vsaid body defining a fuel inlet registerable with said inletpassageways and further defining N fuel outlets registerable with saidoutlet passageways in said block.

4. The distributor of claim 3 wherein said valve block has rightcircular ends, each of said pair of outlet passagewaysybeing terminatedat separate radii at one of said ends,- said fuel outlets staggered tobe registerable with the termini of said outlet passageways uponrotation of said block.

7 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,669,398 Rathbun May 8, 1928 2,406,239 Morgenroth Aug. 20, 19462,731,175 Downing Jan. 17, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 113,163 Great BritainFeb. 14, 1918 653,030 Great Britain May 9, 1949 821,442 Germany Nov. 19,1951 912,768 Germany June 3, 1954 1,080,325 France May 26, 1954

